YCSO gives a few details about 2 deaths in Seligman

PRESCOTT – The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) on Friday shed a little light on the incident near Seligman that claimed the lives of two people the day before.

Thursday afternoon, Deputy Steve Polanchak reportedly shot and killed a suspect who allegedly drove over and killed a 51-year-old Seligman man on Stagecoach Road in Bridge Canyon Estates, just west of Seligman.

Hours later, YCSO deputies found the victim's body in the remote area, a half mile from the residence where the initial attack occurred, YCSO spokeswoman Susan Quayle said Friday.

It appears that the property where the incidents took place belongs to the suspect, she said.

YCSO Lt. Steve Francis said YCSO is not ready to release the names of the victim or the suspect until they are firm about their identity, even though they have some idea who they are. Then they have to notify the next of kin, he said.

He added that YCSO was in the process of obtaining a search warrant to enter a home to determine whether it belongs to the suspect.

YCSO began to investigate the alleged homicide after they received a call from a man who told them he believed the suspect ran over the victim and planned to dispose of the body, Quayle said.

When YCSO got to the scene of the alleged crime, deputies spotted a significant amount of blood, but could not find the body, Quayle said.

As they were taping the area off, the suspect returned and allegedly tried to drive over a deputy, she said.

He was ordered to stop, but he continued driving, according to a YCSO report. At that point, the deputy reportedly fired at the approaching vehicle, killing the suspect.

Quayle said a medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine whether the victim died solely from injuries he suffered in the car attack.

She said it appears the suspect and the victim knew each other, but to what extent it is unclear.

She said the caller was the suspect's acquaintance, who referred to him as a "German guy." She said the suspect appears to have a German background. She said they have sketchy information on the victim and his relatives as well.

She said that in December the suspect, if he is who they believe he is, spent some time in jail after a domestic violence incident.

Francis said they have no reason to believe that other people might be involved in the alleged car attack.

YCSO said the Department of Public Safety is investigating the shooting by Polanchak.

Francis said Polanchak, who has been with YCSO for more than five years, works in the Ash Fork/Seligman area. He is currently on paid administrative leave, which is a standard YCSO procedure in this type of situations, he said.